Hurt and Confused

I was dealt a harsh blow today.  I have been friends with this person for a couple of years and a month ago we were making wedding plans and discussing her being my maid of honor.  In just the last few weeks have felt that things have been cooling off.  She has canceled plans at the last minute, doesn't call and doesn't want to talk when I call.  Finally this morning I left her a phone message asking if I had done something wrong and if we could talk.  A few hours later I received a facebook message that basically said "I don't want to be friends anymore".  I am thoroughly hurt and confused by this whole course of events.  Despite claiming a desire to spare my feelings the message contained several comments like "you have been very needy and dramatic, to the extent that I don't want to answer the phone when you call because I know what I am in for" and "At times you can be a know-it-all" and when referring to my recent engagement "Just remember, the shine on the diamond fades and you only wear the dress for one day, so you better be sure of what you want".  I realize that I have my faults, but this friend has never brought up any of these issues before.  I am so devastated by the things she has said that it has left me wondering which parts are true, am I this horrible person that she paints me to be?  How could a friend of several years just up and walk away rather than try to work things out? 

Struck down with the Swine

Despite my best efforts to prevent getting sick it seems I have been struck down with H1N1.  I began feeling sick Monday morning and it all went downhill from there.  On Wednesday I went to the flu clinic set up to deal with the large number of flu cases and was prescribed tamiflu.  It seems to be helping but I am still dealing with a very bad cough as well as an upset stomach (which may be a side effect of the tamiflu).  This is, by far, the sickest that I have ever been in my life and I urge anyone who has not yet done so to go out and get the vaccine.  I am a young woman, without any medical issues and I have been struck down hard.  I can hardly imagine the effect that this would have on someone with health issues.  I hope that by Sunday I will be back to normal and able to get back to my life and to this blog.  Hope all my followers are feeling much better than I am.

Car Protection Mojo Bag

Supplies:

Red cloth bag
Comfrey
Mint
Rosemary Oil
Piece of Turquoise
Piece of Moonstone
Piece of Snowflake Obsidian (I chose a piece with just a few specks in order to avoid heavy snow)

Cleanse and prepare all ingredients.  Add them to the bag one at a time.  Ask the goddess to bless the bag and keep both the car and any passengers safe from harm.  Keep the mojo bag in your glove compartment or hang it from your rear view mirror.

Christmas Fever!

Hello, my name is PhoenixWitch and I am a Christmas-aholic.  I officially broke out the Christmas music today (I only waited this long in order to properly respect Remembrance Day).  As always, I started with the Kenny & Dolly Christmas album and spent my morning commute singing at the top of my lungs and marveling at how the cheery songs are able to instantly lift my mood.  I spent the rest of the day in an amazingly good mood and was even tempted into visiting Wal-Mart after work.  I am still holding off on putting up the Christmas tree, though I am not sure if I will be able to wait until the month is over.  I think part of my early celebration of the season stems from the fact that I live away from home and Christmas means going home for a couple of weeks.  So not only am I looking forward to the joy of the season and the extended break from teaching but I am also excited about seeing my family again for the first time since last year.

Am I alone in this? Has anyone else caught the Holiday Spirit already?

P.S Looks like I finally got my new background to work.  Look! Its snowing!!

A failed attempt at re-decorating

ARRRGGGG! As you may have noticed I attempted to change the look of this blog with a new template.  I spent the last week fighting with it to re-install all of my gadgets and buttons.  I have finally given up the fight.  It seems I simply cannot get everything I need (especially statcounter) to work with the new template, so here we are, back where we started, yet again.

Stone of the Week: Turquoise

Turquoise is a beautiful stone that has been prized throughout history by many different cultures and used for everything from adorning tombs and making jewellery to healing magick and ensuring an arrow hits it's target.  Due to it's vibrant color, this stone is associated with the sky and may be help one connect with sky deities.  It is a strong stone for protection and legend has it that a turquoise stone will shatter if the carrier is about to find themselves in immediate danger.  It also absorbs negativity and clears away pollution and electromagnetic smog.  It brings with it wisdom and truth and is said to change color when one is faced with infidelity. Turquoise is associated with the throat chakra and allows the user to release inhibitions and express themselves more freely.  In this way, it also strengthens creative expression. 
Turquoise is known as a "master healer" stone.  It enhances the immune system and alleviates infection.  It can also aid with throat and lung issues such as asthama.  Turquoise is a stone that enhances positive thinking and, as such, can aid in any number of health and mental well being issues. 
Due to the popularity of turquoise there are many people selling imitation pieces.  Usually these are howlite that has been dyed to resemble turquoise.  If you are looking to purchase turquoise be sure that you trust the seller as reputable and ask questions about whether or not the stone has undergone any treatment.  For side by side examples of real vs fake check out  TheTurquoiseChick

Dispelling Negativity with Hematite

 Hematite has the unique quality of acting as a mirror.  Because it reflects what it sees it can also be used to dispel negativity.  This makes it an excellent stone to keep in an area that you feel negativity building up.  I am making a personal effort to leave my work issues at work and maintain a (relatively) tranquil and peaceful home.  In order to aid me in this I installed a key rack with a mirror and placed three small hematite stones on top. Before stepping through the door at the end of each day I take a moment to cleanse myself of the negativity gathered throughout the day. 
You may also wish to take advantage of these qualities to rid yourself of the emotions and anxiety that can trouble your sleep.  Simply hold the stone and allow your troubles to slip away.  You may also wish to light a candle and/or play some relaxing music.

A Return and A Rant

I aplogize for my absence this last week.  I do most of my blogging on the weekend but with my surprise engagement last week I was swept into a whirlwind of dinners, visits and congratulations that left me with little time to keep up with the online world.  But now I am back and better than ever!

I am very excited to have purchased a HP Mini Netbook and am now able to blog from the couch! Oh the marvels of technology!! 

In all seriousness, the real purpose for buying a netbook was to eliminate my frustration with the computers at my school.  Having used my home computer, the one at my old school and the one at my new school to create documents meant that the dinosaur I am forced to use at work would not open 3/4 of my files!!! It is incredibly frustrating to get inspired to work on a project only to discover your processor refuses to acknowledge anything created after the invention of the internet!  So now, I have a machine that can travel with me and actually open all of my files.  I also purchased a printer so that I won't have to deal with the antiquated piece of crap that the school board seems to think qualifies as a printer. 

Times like these always make me think about the parents who write into the paper or call the radio stations complaining about teachers being lazy and unconcerned with their child's education (these are particularly prevalent after a snow day - which, I must note, is simply for the safety of your child and is not a decision made by any teacher, but the board in the area).  I would love to provide those same parents with charts displaying the time I spend after my allotted hours, prepping for my classes, correcting student work, discussing issues with parents and staff, creating the school yearbook and directing the school musical (a task that takes at least 5 months).  I would also love to show them the receipts for each teacher in my school and calculate how much each person spends (out of our own pocket!) on supplies to try and better our teaching.  Perhaps I have lofty ideas about the respect that teachers deserve but I come from a small town where teachers were not seen as the enemy, and were appreciated for the extra time that they provide in order to give their students wonderful opportunities and life experiences.  What has happened in our world that we no longer acknowledge the valuable role of educators in the lives of our children? 

My Halloween Surprise

It starts with these:

Wait for it........ It gets better........

Heres another

How well does my man know me to propose on October 31st??!!